In it investigations the Gazeta found the people were detained on different dates but all were executed on the nights of January 25-26.

‘According to our information, the detainees were shot that night and have carried on various cemeteries, including Christian, and buried in hastily dug graves,’ the Novaya Gazeta reported.

The news outlet has been investigating the illegal detentions for months and has approached a number of government and law enforcement agencies for information. When it became clear they would not be helpful Novaya Gazeta decided to publish the names of victims.

‘Two months we had hoped for cooperation at the very beginning [of the investigation]to be effective,’ the Gazeta wrote in a report.

‘Today it is obvious that the Investigative Committee of Russia is losing ground on this situation… That is why we publish the list of those who, according to our information, were victims of the worst possible extrajudicial executions in Grozny.

‘And now the investigation, which has a lack of living of witnesses, will have to deal with the special witnesses.

‘Because only the dead have nothing to fear in Chechnya’

27 names

Below are the names of 27 men executed by the Chechen government. It is not known if all of these 27 were killed because they were gay or because of other perceived crimes.